Salmon is among the richest sources of healthy fats, making it an ideal source of omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, salmon contains calcium, vitamin D, and folate. Besides helping with arthritis, eating salmon may protect the cardiovascular system by preventing blood clots, repairing artery damage, raising levels of good cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure.

Commonly referred to as one of nature’s ‘perfect foods’, bananas are perhaps best known for packing potassium, but they’re also good sources of arthritis-fighting vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin C. They’re easy for your body to digest, and since they’re a great source of soluble fiber, they are an important player in your weight loss efforts, because you fell full after eating one without consuming a large number of calories.

If you are in need of vitamin C but aren’t a big fan of citrus fruits, reach for a green pepper. A single green pepper contains 176 percent of your daily needs for vitamin C — and colorful red and yellow varieties have more than double that amount. That makes them richer in C than citrus fruits, but sweet peppers are also excellent sources of vitamin B6 and folate.

Vitamin D is a tough one to come by in foods, but shrimp fills that bill, since they have about 30 percent of the daily recommended amount in about three ounces much more than a cup of milk. Shrimp also contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C, along with other nutrients essential for general health, including iron and vitamin B12.

Hard or soft, fresh or ripened, cheese in all its variety is an excellent source of calcium for bones, and protein for muscles and other joint-supporting tissues. Cheese can be easily sliced to put on a cracker or a sandwich, grated into your favorite recipe, or eaten alongside an apple or pear for a fresh, quick snack.

Green tea contains hundreds of powerful antioxidant chemicals called polyphenols and has been cited for helping prevent problems ranging from cancer to heart disease. But studies also suggest green tea may help prevent or ease symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

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The researchers found that mice infected with the Influenza A virus responded positively to a drug called Abatacept, most commonly used as a treatment for people with RA.

“We found that treating the mice with Abatacept minimized tissue damage caused by the immune response, but still enabled the body to rid itself of the virus. The mice didn’t become as sick, recovered much faster and had much less damage to the lungs, compared to mice that weren’t given the drug,” said the study’s senior author, Donna L. Farber, Ph.D., professor of surgery and microbiology and immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

“Moreover, treatment with Abatacept significantly improved survival for mice infected with a lethal dose of influenza virus,” Dr. Farber says. “The survival rate for the treated mice was 80 percent, compared to 50 percent for the mice that weren’t treated.”

The drug does not interfere with the immune system’s early, rapid response in the lungs, which helps to kill the virus, but it prevents “memory” T-cells from overreacting, which produces multiple negative effects. “It’s this overactive immune response that can make you feel sick – and can also lead to pneumonia,” she says.
It is thought that this tissue damage in the lungs as a result of the aggressive immune response was the leading cause of death from pandemic strains of flu, such as the avian flu and the 1918 Spanish flu. It is also thought to be true of the early cases of H1N1 “swine” flu.

Dr. Farber says, “We believe that our findings are very significant because they provide a potential new treatment for infection by the influenza virus – one that would dampen the immune response, yet still preserve its protective effects.”

The researchers are now testing Abatacept in mice that have not previously been exposed to the flu virus, trying to determine how well they respond to the drug once they have become very sick. Instead of having “memory” T-cells, these mice have what are known as “naïve” T-cells, which have never been activated by being exposed to influenza previously. Depending on the results, Dr. Farber hopes to one day bring this promising new immunotherapy to the clinic for the benefit of patients.

Abatacept is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb and marketed under the name Orencia and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Abatacept is not approved for treating influenza.

There are three types of seasonal influenza, A, B and C, and a number of subtypes of Influenza A, including a new strain of the H1N1 virus, also known as the “swine flu,” which has recently emerged and caused illness and a number of deaths this year in Mexico, the United States and other countries around the world.
The researchers report was published in the June 1 edition of The Journal of Immunology, which is now available online.

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The disability report was developed from cross-sectional findings derived from an analysis by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S Census Bureau of data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a survey that included male and female volunteers that were 18 years and older.

Women had a notably higher prevalence of disability at 24.4% compared with men (19.1%) at all ages, according to the findings by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The investigators also discovered that arthritis or rheumatism affected 8.6 million people, or 19.0% of the population and among women was the most reported cause of disability, at 24.3%.

7.6 million adults, or 16.3% of the population, were affected by back or spine problems. More men than women considered back or spine problems the primary cause of their disability, which represented 16.9% of reported disability in men.

The overall disability rate in 2005 was unchanged from the one calculated in 1999 (22.0%), which was calculated using the same type of subjects and sampling method.

However, “Particularly in the large group born during 1946-1964 (ie, the baby boomers), the estimated absolute number of persons reporting a disability increased 7.7%, from 44.1 to 47.5 million,” authors of the report wrote.

The report was published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) whose editors identified some limitations in the report, saying exclusion of institutionalized persons resulted in conservative estimates, particularly in those 65 years of age and older who are more likely to reside in institutions.

Furthermore, SIPP survey data were likely subject to sampling and non-sampling errors that were hard to control for. There was also no way to ensure all survey participants used the same definition of disability, they said.

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• Insomnia
• Sleep apnea
• Restless legs syndrome
• Bruxism (teeth grinding)

Another common sleep disturbance is known as alpha-delta sleep and is found in many people with chronic pain disorders.

Alpha-Delta Sleep

Alpha-delta intrusions refer to a type of brainwave that most people don’t have. When a person is relaxed but awake, their brainwaves are called alpha waves. Delta brainwaves occur when we are in the deepest stages of sleep. To make things simple, let’s say that alpha means ‘awake’ and delta means ‘asleep’. Unfortunately alpha waves can sometimes creep into sleep and get all mixed up with our nice delta brainwaves, creating a mish-mash of sleep and wakefulness!

While it is not known exactly why this happens, the presence of alpha (awake) brainwaves in our sleep can be detrimental to our daytime functioning. Often a person will not feel refreshed or well rested after a night of alpha-delta sleep.

These disorders can develop at any time. A certain amount of fatigue is normal in fibromyalgia patients, but if you have a high level of fatigue, or if your level of fatigue suddenly changes, it’s definitely something to talk to your doctor about. Getting proper treatment for sleep disorders can make a huge difference in how you feel.

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Nancy A. Baker, of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and team performed an analysis of data from 359 participants with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or fibromyalgia who completed a survey about their computer use and discomfort and specific problems while using computer equipment.

The majority of the study group (76.5%) reported discomfort with use of at least one item of computer equipment. The largest number (54.9%) of this group reported discomfort during chair use. Other items that were identified with problems and discomfort:

• keyboard
• mouse
• monitor

Fibromyalgia Patients were more likely to report more problems, more severe discomfort, and more significant limitations related to computer use than people with the other conditions, the researchers found.

“The ability to use a computer appears to be one method to prevent work limitations and eventual work disability, as well as a vital tool for both work and home activities. Therefore, health professionals must work with people with arthritis to identify problems experienced during computer use and implement computer workstation modifications to ensure safe, effective, and comfortable use of all computer equipment,” the authors conclude.

Results of the study were published in the May 15 Arthritis Care & Research.


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